FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
EHCP PROCESS/CONVERSION PROCESS
Who will get an Education, Health and Care Plan?
The legal test of when a child or young person requires an EHC plan remains the same as
that for a Statement under the Education Act 1996. Therefore it is expected that all children
and young people who currently have a Statement and who would have continued to have
one under the current system will be transferred to an EHC plan. Similarly if a young person
has an LDA and are likely to remain in further education or training during the transition
period (i.e. up until September 2016) they will be issued with an EHCP.
Can we do other reviews (those not in years 2, 6, 9, 11) as Transfer Reviews to
change Statements into EHC Plans?
Due to the numbers of children and young people with Statements/Learning Difficulty
Assessments in Years 2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 14 totalling 662 during the academic year
2014-2015, the Local Authority will struggle to transfer many more children and young
people onto an EHCP during this time.
What will the process be for reviewing EHC Plans when it is not a Key Stage Review?
We would encourage schools to continue to use a person centred approach to Annual
Reviews. The format/process of the meeting can be determined by school, although it must
consider the following (as set out in the Code of Practice 9.116 and 9.117):
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the child or young person’s progress towards achieving the outcomes specified in the
EHC plan.
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whether these outcomes and supporting targets remain appropriate.
 gathering and assessing information so that it can be used by early years settings,
schools or colleges to support the child or young person’s progress and their access
to teaching and learning.
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the special educational provision made for the child or young person to ensure it is
being effective in ensuring access to teaching and learning and good progress
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the health and social care provision made for the child or young person and its
effectiveness in ensuring good progress towards outcomes
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the continuing appropriateness of the EHC plan in the light of the child or young
person’s progress during the previous year or changed circumstances and whether
changes are required including any changes to outcomes, enhanced provision,
change of educational establishment or whether the EHC plan should be
discontinued
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setting new interim targets for the coming year and where appropriate, agree new
outcomes
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reviewing any interim targets set by the early years provider, school or college or
other education provider
Is there any paperwork for school to complete prior to the Transfer Review?
Yes, school will need to complete the ‘School Advice form:Transfer Review’ (available on the
extranet) and ensure that this, along with all other advice from other agencies, is sent to the
Local Authority at least 2 weeks prior to the Review.
What will be the process / paperwork for applying for an Education, Health and Care
needs assessment?
The eligibility criteria and process for applying for an EHCP will be the same as the current
eligibility criteria and process of applying for a Statutory Assessment.
Schools/settings/colleges will need to complete the ‘Referral Form - Application for
Additional Funding from the High Needs Block’ (available on the extranet). This paperwork
remains largely unchanged, the only exception being that there is a need to provide
additional information regarding desired outcomes. This application form, along with a CAF
and supporting evidence from support services, will then need to be sent to the Inclusion and
Statutory Assessment Service as per current practice.
Parents, and young people over the age of 16, will also have the right to request an
Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment. Parents and young people can do this by
completing the appropriate form and sending it to the Inclusion and Statutory Assessment
Service.
Who are the government organisation supporting parents?
The Government have funded ‘independent supporters.’ The role of Independent Supporters
will be to help parents navigate the new special educational needs process. Barnardo’s
North West have been awarded the contract to provide this service across much of the North
West. In Bolton, Independent Support will be delivered by Together Trust, in partnership with
Barnardo’s. We do not yet have the details of how this support will work and how parents will
be able to access this support locally. We will be liaising with Barnardo’s regarding this over
the coming weeks.
Will interpreters be made available for Transfer and Annual Reviews?
It will be the responsibility of the school to ensure that appropriate support is provided for
parents to enable them to engage fully in the Transfer Review and Annual Review process.
Will translated versions of paperwork be made available?
There are no plans to publish translated versions of paperwork although the Local Offer
website has a facility for translating information regarding Special Educational Needs and/or
Disabilities into other languages.
Do Head Teachers know about Education, Health and Care Plans and the changes
to the review process?
Information regarding the SEND Reforms, including Statements being transferred to EHCP’s
via person centred Annual Reviews, has been shared with Primary Headteachers during
Headteacher briefings and Secondary Headteachers during a BASH meeting. The detail
regarding the transfer review process will have been shared with any Headteachers who
have attended/plan to attend the Person Centred Review training. Information regarding the
Education, Health and Care Needs assessment process and the draft Bolton EHCP have
been shared with SENCO’s via SENCO clusters and so this information may have been
shared with Headteachers. Further information regarding the Bolton Education Heath and
Care assessment process, plan and review process will be shared during the SEND briefing
sessions in September and further more detailed training during the Autumn Term for
Headteachers and SENCO’s regarding the new process is also planned.
Can someone else facilitate a Transfer Review for us?
It is anticipated that someone within the school/setting/college will facilitate the transfer
review, and that is why the person centred review training has been rolled out free of charge.
Some schools/settings/colleges may, on occasion, ask a support service to facilitate the
review however the facilitator of the review should be someone who is not also contributing.
Schools/settings and colleges could consider purchasing time from the Educational
Psychology Service for this purpose if they do not want to facilitate the review for
themselves.
What if parents have opposing views on education / health / care provision?
The Code of Practice is clear that the Local Authority must have regard to the views, wishes
and feelings of the child, child’s parent or young person, their aspirations, the outcomes that
they wish to seek and the support they need to achieve them. Therefore the views of the
child, child’s parent’s or young person must be sought during the assessment process and
subsequent review processes, whether these reflect or oppose the views of others. It will be
the role of the Local Authority (Inclusion and Statutory Assessment Service) to reconcile any
opposing views during the drawing up/review of the Education, Health and Care Plan.
Will the information from a Year 6 Transfer Review be shared with the chosen
Secondary School?
Yes, the information gathered during the transfer review process for children in Year 6 will be
used to draw up an Education, Health and Care Plan for the child. The EHCP and the
information from the review used to write the plan (which will form the Appendices to the
EHCP) will be shared with the secondary school once placements have been confirmed.
When do Year 6 Transfer Reviews have to be done by?
Year 6 transfer reviews will all need to be held by 7th November 2014.
When do Year 11 Transfer Reviews have to be done by?
Year 11 transfer reviews in the academic year 2014-2015 will need to be held by 20th
February 2015. However for all subsequent years the transfer reviews for young people in
Year 11 will need to be held by the end of the Autumn Term.
When should we hold year 12 / 13 Transfer Reviews?
If a young person is remaining in the same educational placement the Year 12/13 review can
be held at the usual time. However, if the young person is moving onto either another further
education establishment or training placement in September 2015 the transfer review will
need to be held by 20th February 2015 as an EHCP naming the next destination will need to
have been issued by 31st May 2015.
Are there any deadlines to meet for Transfer Reviews of other year groups?
Children who have a Statement in a Nursery setting and are transferring to a primary school
in September 2015, will need to have had a transfer review by 7th November 2014. There
are no deadlines to meet for the transfer reviews of other children. Due to the demands of
transferring all of the Year 6 and Year 11 children during the first half of the academic year, it
would be helpful if schools/setting and colleges were able to hold the transfer reviews for
pupils in Years 6 and 11 during the first half of the academic year and the transfer reviews
for children/young people in Years 2, 9 and 12-14 during the second half of the academic
year or when the review of the Statement is due.
What paperwork should we use for parents to provide their advice prior to the
Transfer Review?
Paperwork designed to capture parent views and help parent’s prepare for transfer reviews
will be available on the extranet by September. The views of parents, and any additional
information added during the course of the transfer review meeting, should also be reflected
in the summary report from the Annual Review.
When will other Statements/LDA’s become EHC Plans?
It is planned to transfer all children with Statements to EHC Plans when they reach the end
of a key stage during the academic years 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-April
2018. For young people in post 16 provision, the plan is to transfer those with
Statements/LDA’s in Years 12-14 during the academic year 2014-2015 with those in Years
15-17 remaining in education or training during the academic year 2015-2016.
How can we send reports securely from health / from schools / to the authority?
Reports can currently be sent securely to the Inclusion and Statutory Assessment Service
(ISAS) by emailing/ringing ISAS and asking them to send you a secure email. If you then
reply to this email the information that you send will be sent securely. The Local Authority
are looking at ways of making all email correspondence between schools and the Local
Authority secure.
Who is responsible for ensuring that the actions on the action plan are completed?
The person identified on the action plan as undertaking the action will be responsible for
ensuring that they complete what they have agreed to do.
Who is responsible for ensuring that actions to meet Aspirations, Outcomes and
Targets are completed?
The person/people responsible for delivering the provision determined to be required by the
child/young person in order to meet the aspirations, outcomes and targets included in the
EHCP is clearly identified in sections F, G and H of the EHCP. This will be reviewed on an
annual basis via the Annual Review process.
Should Educational Psychologists be invited to the Transfer Review? – If so, will this
cost schools?
Schools should invite an Educational Psychologist to a transfer review if this is felt to be
appropriate i.e. if the Local Authority, the child’s parents or the young person and the
Educational Psychologist are of the opinion that the information within the
Statement/previous Educational Psychology reports provided for any purpose are not recent
and relevant enough to be used for the purpose of completing the transfer review. Unless
there has been a significant change in the needs of a child, reports within 2-3 years of the
transfer review are likely to be recent enough for the purposes of the transfer review.
Educational Psychology re-assessments as part of the transfer process, and attendance at
transfer reviews, will be classed as Statutory work and therefore will be carried out at no cost
to a school.
Should Educational Psychologists complete an assessment prior to or after a Transfer
Review? – If so, will this cost schools?
If an Educational Psychology report is deemed to be necessary (as per paragraph above)
then the Educational Psychologist can be asked to complete the assessment prior to the
transfer review. Alternatively the need for updated advice from an Educational Psychologist
may be identified as an action during the transfer review meeting in which case a request
should be made following the transfer review. Educational Psychology re-assessments as
part of the transfer process will be classed as Statutory work and therefore will be carried out
at no cost to a school.
Which outside agencies should provide advice prior to the Transfer Review?
The outside agencies asked to provide advice prior to a transfer review will usually already
be involved with the child/young person and may include Ladywood Outreach, Behaviour
Support, Sensory Support, Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychology,
Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, CAMHS or Social Care. Schools should invite outside
agencies to attend/provide advice for a transfer review if this is felt to be appropriate i.e. if
the service is already working with the child/young person and/or Local Authority, the child’s
parents or the young person and the outside agency are of the opinion that the information
within the Statement/previous reports provided for any purpose are not recent and relevant
enough to be used for the purpose of completing the transfer review. The need for updated
advice from an outside agency may be identified as an action during the transfer review
meeting in which case a request to that outside agency should be made following the
transfer review. This advice would need to be provided by the outside agency within a sixeight week time frame to enable to Local Authority complete the transfer to an EHCP within
the permitted 14 weeks.
What happens if parents do not attend a Transfer Review?
Schools/settings and colleges should aim to arrange transfer review meetings for a time that
is convenient for parents, thus maximising the chance of them attending. If parents do not
attend a transfer review the school/setting/college should encourage the parent to complete
the parental advice form so that their views are reflected within the EHCP. Parents who need
support in order to do this should be directed to Bolton Parent Partnership Service or an
Independent Support Worker.
Who are the people who are being employed to support the transfer process?
It is planned that there will be an additional three posts created within the Inclusion and
Statutory Assessment Service in order to manage and facilitate the transfer process. These
posts have been advertised within the Local Authority and schools as secondment
opportunities and are now being advertised externally. The people employed to carry out
these tasks will have been through a recruitment and selection process and will have been
deemed to have the skills required to carry out the role.
How will parents find out about Transfer Reviews?
The Local Authority will inform parents/young people individually regarding details of
their/their child’s transfer to the new system when their transfer is imminent. The Local
Authority will also publish a local transition plan in September 2014 which will inform parents
and young people about when they/their child will be transferred to the new system. This
local transition plan will include the following information:
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the number of children and young people with statements and the number of young
people receiving support as a result of an LDA that the local authority expects to
transfer to the new system in each year of the transition period;
the order in which children and young people with statements of SEN in the area will
be transferred to the new system;
how and when parents of children with SEN and young people with SEN, and their
educational institution, will be made aware of the arrangements for a child or young
person’s transfer;
details of the transfer review process;
the arrangements for the transfer of young people who receive support as a result of
a LDA;
sources of independent SEN information and advice;
who parents and young people can contact if they have queries about transition to
the new system or if they have not been transferred to the new system in accordance
with the local transition plan.
What should I do to transfer Blackburn / Salford / Wigan Statements?
Schools/settings who have children/young people with Statements from another Local
Authority should speak with the Special Educational Needs department of that Local
Authority in order to determine the process that they intend to use and whether they wish for
that process to be used or are happy for you to use the Bolton process.
How will schools outside of the Authority be transferring Bolton Statements to EHC
Plans? Will they be expected to use the same process?
Schools/settings who educate children and young people who have a Bolton Statement will
be expected to follow the same transfer process and paperwork as Bolton schools/settings
(in the same way as schools outside of Bolton educating a Bolton child/young person
requesting a Statutory Assessment or reviewing a Bolton Statement should currently use
existing Bolton paperwork and processes). The Local Authority will provide advice and
support to these settings regarding the Bolton transfer process.
When / where / how will the final paperwork be available?
The final paperwork will be available during September 2014. This paperwork will be
available on the Extranet and via the Inclusion and Statutory Assessment Service.
Will “Notes in Lieu” be transferred to EHC Plans?
No, Notes in Lieu are issued in cases where the Local Authority have determined that a
Statement is not required in order to meet a child/young person’s Special Educational
Needs. As such any Notes in Lieu will not be transferred to an EHC Plan.
Who is going to coordinate and be the responsible person ensuring that plans are
kept up to date as a young person needs change.
The Inclusion and Statutory Assessment Officers will be the people responsible for ensuring
that plans are kept up to date and amended as necessary to reflect changes in needs.